A Knife in the Dark
by nebula2
Summary: A one-shot story. Pacey drags Dawson out for a night of fun but when things go wrong who will pay?


Disclaimer: The main characters in this story are not mine, they belong to the creator's of Dawson's Creek and whoever else has the rights to the show.  
  
AN: I've been working on this story for about the last month here and there. It was just an idea that I got and I wanted to write it before I loss inspiration for it so yeah I did it while having all my other stories in progress. Oh well. Anyway I hope you enjoy it. Please be nice as it's the first time I've tried to write DC in first person.  
  
Pacey's POV:  
I couldn't believe that I had actually gotten Dawson to come out with me tonight. Not only was it a school night but we were sneaking into clubs (or well at least trying to sneak into clubs). We weren't having too much luck. Okay, not one club had let us in yet.  
"I say we give up Pacey and just go home," Dawson said as we walked down the sidewalk toward another club (the last club in Capeside that we hadn't tried to sneak into yet). I should've known it was too good to be true.  
"Oh, come on Dawson," I said, "this is the last club in Capeside. We can't call it a night until we at least try." Truth be told I just didn't want to go home yet. I knew my Dad would be sitting in the living room waiting for me.  
"I think we're pushing our luck today Pace," Dawson said. "I'm surprised no one has called the cops on us yet."  
"Really Dawson," I told him. "We're not the only kids who try to sneak into these clubs. No one is going to call the cops on us."  
"Yeah, and I bet some of these other kids are actually successful at sneaking inside," Dawson said.  
I shot him a look. He was my best friend but sometimes he could be a real pain.  
"Well maybe I would be having more luck if I hadn't brought you along," I told him. It probably wasn't true but I needed someone to blame and Dawson was making himself the perfect target.  
"Fine, you're on your own. I'm going home. This was a stupid idea anyway," Dawson replied. He turned around and started walking in the other direction.  
I really didn't want to do this by myself. That was the whole reason I had spent my entire lunch period trying to convince him to come anyway.  
"Dawson, come on. Five more minutes," I called to him. Dawson looked at me reluctantly.  
"Fine, what do I have to lose," Dawson said retracing his steps toward me. Just as I was turning around though I heard a commotion coming from the direction of the club. I watched as Matt Caulfield and a couple of his buddies got kicked out of the club. Maybe Dawson had a point. Maybe it was better if we stopped while we were ahead.  
"You know, on second thought why don't we just both head back to your place," I said turning to face Dawson. I could hide from my father there just as easily as I could here.  
"I think that is the smartest thing you've said all day," Dawson told me.  
We both started to walk away but before we could Caulfield noticed us which wasn't a good thing.  
"Hey Witter," I heard Caulfield call. "What are you doing here? Did you actually think you might be able to sneak inside loser."  
I stopped in my tracks. There was no way I was just going to let that go even though I probably should have.  
"Doesn't look like you had much luck in there yourself," I told him turning around and taking a few steps closer to him. "What's wrong you make a mistake and hit on your mother," I told him. If going back to Dawson's place was the smartest thing I said all day long, that last line was probably the stupidest thing I had said all day.  
Needless to say, Caulfield did not appreciate the comment. Before I knew what was happening, I was on the ground with Caulfield on top of me. I threw my left arm up to block and incoming punch. I was probably outmatched but I wasn't about to just let him beat me up. Somehow I even managed to get a few punches of my own in. I don't know how long we had been fighting when we heard the shout.  
"Break it up," a voice with authority shouted. A voice that sounded a little to familiar for my liking.  
Caulfield and I stopped hitting each other at the sound of the voice all though he was still on top of me pinning me to the ground. Before I could even attempt to push him off of me, someone reached down and grabbed Caulfield by the shirt pulling him to his feet. I recognized the Capeside police uniform which confirmed my thoughts on who had shouted at us - Deputy Doug. This night was just getting better and better.  
I quickly scrambled to my feet. I saw the cop car with the flashing lights parked nearby and wondered how I hadn't heard the approaching sirens. Evidently, Caulfield's pals had because they were nowhere to be seen. I looked around for Dawson and saw him standing by the wall of the club. Well, at least he hadn't completely abandoned me although I really wouldn't have blamed him if he had.  
It had been Doug's partner, Ted Hipkins, who had pulled Caulfield off me. Without looking I knew that someone was standing next to me and I also knew who that someone was without looking. I knew my brother was standing next to me and I also didn't need to look to know he was wearing that look of mixed disapproval and dissapointment. It was a look I was very familiar with. Most of my family wore it whenever they looked at me. That was me- the black sheep of the Witter family.  
"What's going on here?" Hipkins asked looking from Caulfield to me. I opened my mouth to answer but Caulfield beat me to it.  
"I was just minding my own business when this punk jumped me for no reason," Caulfield said.  
"Liar, you're the one who jumped me," I yelled back taking a step toward him. Doug reached out and grabbed my arm keeping me from going any further.  
"You wish you punk," Caulfield told me. "You wouldn't even be worth my consideration."  
"Enough," Hipkins said firmly. " I guess we'll just have to take the both of you down to the station and get this sorted out."  
"You can't do that," Caulfield said smugly.  
"Watch me," Hipkins relied.  
"This punk jumps me and you're going to give me a hard time. I mean come on we all know he can't tell the truth from that incident with Miss Jacobs last fall," Caulfield said.  
"Oh yeah and I'm sure you're school record is spotless," I replied sarcastically. It would have been nice if Doug would have said something, anything in my defense. He didn't though. In fact he didn't say anything.  
"You're a loser Witter. Always have been and always will be," Caulfield told me smugly. I wanted so much just to slug him again right there but I didn't even try.  
"Look in the mirror lately?" I asked him instead. Caulfield broke away from Hipkins and took a swing at me which I ducked. He didn't get a second chance as Hipkins quickly got a hold of him again.  
"Up against the wall," Hipkins told him pointing him in that direction.  
"Oh, you got to be kidding. My father will have your badge," Caulfield told him over his shoulder but he put his hands up on the wall.  
"I'll take my chances," I heard Hipkins tell him as Doug started leading me away and toward the cruiser.  
"Hands on the car," Doug told me taking out his handcuffs.  
"Oh, come on Doug is that really necessary," I said looking back at him. I expected Doug to take me down to the station and give me another one of his famous Deputy Doug lectures, and then call Dad which meant I'd have another longer and louder lecture. I wasn't expecting Doug to actually arrest me. "It was just a fight."  
"Hands on the car," he told me again.  
"This is ridiculous," I muttered as I did as I was told. "Are you having a bad day or something. What happen you're boyfriend send you roses at the station and now all the guys know you're gay."  
"You know, Dad's right about you. You never will learn will you. This isn't just about the fight Pacey. You don't think I know what's going here? Why you're in this area? You were trying to sneak into clubs which not only is illegal but its also a school night and you're grades are bad enough as it is, not to mention you dragged Dawson into all of this," Doug said indicating Dawson who was still standing nearby. I wondered if Doug was going to arrest him too.  
"Oh spare me the lectures. Like you actually care about me. All you're worried about is earning brownie points with Dad like the little girl scout that you are."  
"You have the right to remain silent Pacey, I suggest you use it," Doug told me. I could tell I had hit a nerve. He pulled my left arm behind my back and cuffed me as he continued to read me my rights. I couldn't believe this was happening. I was starting to wish I didn't have a brother.  
  
" I hate you Doug," I told him as he opened the back door to the squad. "You're making me wish I didn't have a brother."  
"That feeling can go both ways, little brother," Doug replied. I was about to get in when Hipkins called Doug's name.  
Doug reacted instinctively to the shout and looked to see what was going on. I was trying to turn and see what was going on when Doug grabbed my shoulders and put me in between him and the car. Moments later I heard his cry of pain. I wanted to know what was going on.  
As soon as Doug let go of me, I turned around. Doug had sank down to his knees clutching his back with one hand, his other hand on the ground in front of him. I saw Caulfield running off the street. On the ground near-by was a bloody knife. It didn't take me long to figure out what had just taking place. Caulfield had just stabbed my brother, in the back, with a knife. I stood there in shock barely aware of what was going on around me.  
"10-3 officer down. My partner's been stabbed. I need an ambulance out here," I was aware of Hipkins saying into his radio and then he gave them the address.  
Dawson had rushed over from where he had been standing and lowered Doug slowly to the ground and Hipkins took off after Caulfield. I felt so helpless.  
After laying Doug on the ground, Dawson grabbed his keys off of his belt and got behind me looking for the key to the cuffs. As soon as he had the cuffs off of me, I knelt down next to my brother and took one of his hands in mine. I didn't really know what else I could do for him besides be there for him. I saw a lot of blood seeping from the wound on his back. Before I could ask Dawson to get me something to apply pressure to the wound he was ripping part of his shirt and handing it to me.  
"Hang on Doug, help is on the way," I told him. I could hear sirens in the distance and hoped it was the paramedics as I held the piece of cloth to the wound and tried to slow down the bleeding. I felt Doug squeeze my hand. I could see the pain he was in on his face and I wanted to be able to do more for him, but I couldn't. All I could think of was that I had just told him I hated him. Hated him for doing his job.  
I was so relieved when the paramedics arrived. As they knelt down on the ground next to me I stood up and took a couple of steps back to get out of the way. I felt a hand come to rest on my shoulder. I looked over to find Dawson standing next to me. I had forgotten he was even around.  
"This is my fault Dawson," I said softly. "It's all my fault."  
"No its not Pacey," Dawson told me but I couldn't make myself believe him.  
  
John Witter's POV:  
"Okay, I'll talk to you more when I get there," I said into the phone.  
"Yes sir," Hipkins said and then I heard a faint click as he hung up.  
"Honey, what's wrong," my wife Erica asked as I hung up the phone. She was standing at the sink doing dishes.  
"That was Ted Hipkins, Doug's partner," I told her. Suddenly I wasn't sure how to tell her the rest. She had been my wife for thirty years. She knew the risks that came with the job but I knew that knowing that wouldn't prepare her for what I had to tell her. "Doug's been hurt. He's in surgery now at Mass General," I told her.  
"Oh my god," Erica said putting the plate she had in her hand back in the sink. "We need to leave a note for Pacey, telling him where we're at before we leave," she said going for the pen and pad of paper she kept by the phone.  
"He's already at the hospital," I told her softly putting my arm around her shoulders. Exactly why I wasn't sure, as Hipkins hadn't gone into detail about what had led up to the incident and I figured that could wait until I saw him. What I did know was that if any of this was Pacey's fault than that boy was going to be grounded for a very long time. "Let's just get over there ourselves," I told her.  
I led her into the entry way and grabbed her jacket. After helping her into her jacket I grabbed my own and we headed out the door to the car.  
The drive to the hospital was silent. I just wanted to know what had happened. Both Doug and his partner were good officers. What had gone wrong that something like this could have happened.  
I parked the car and the two of us hurried into the hospital and up to the surgical floor. A nurse at the desk told us the Doug was still in surgery and then showed us to the room where Pacey, Hipkins and Pacey's friend Dawson Leery was already waiting.  
Hipkins was pacing back and forth on one side of the room. Pacey was sitting on one of the couches staring at the floor. I could tell just by looking at him that Doug's injury was serious. I could see it in my younger son's face. Dawson was sitting next to Pacey with one hand resting on Pacey's shoulder. I never understood why Dawson had stayed friends with my son. The two were complete opposites. Not to mention that Pacey, without a doubt, was a bad influence on Dawson. I was actually surprised that the Leery's let Pacey spend as much time at their place as they did. I know if our position's were reversed I wouldn't have allowed it.  
"Mom," Pacey said after looking up and seeing us. He stood up and was soon in his mother's arms.  
I turned my attention from my wife and son and to Doug's partner. He had stopped pacing now and was standing a respectful distance from us not wanting to interfere with what was obviously a family moment.  
"Exactly what happened out there tonight, Ted?" I asked him walking over to where he was standing.  
  
Pacey's POV:  
It had been an hour since my parents had arrived at the hospital. I was sitting on the couch between my Mom and Dawson. Dawson had called his parents to let them know where he was at. His dad had told him that he was on his way over.  
Doug's partner had left to go back to the station after talking with my Dad. My father hadn't said anything since he had talked to Ted Hipkins but I knew he was angry at me. I could tell by the looks he had been casting in my direction for the last twenty minutes. The only thing that was probably saving me from his wrath was the fact that my Mom and Dawson were in the room.  
"Mr. and Mrs. Witter," I heard a voice say and looked up to see a doctor walking into the waiting room.  
"How is he?" my Dad asked quickly as he walked over from his spot and toward the doctor. My Mom stood up and stood beside my Dad. I just stayed on the couch but listened closely to what the doctor said.  
"Your son is stable but still in critical condition. However, the wound was very close to the spinal cord and right now he has no feeling below the waist. Right now we can't be sure if its temporary or permanent," the doctor said.  
I looked back down at the floor as I heard my mother start crying. I couldn't believe this was happening.  
"Can we see him?" my father asked.  
"Sure, but keep the visit short. He needs to rest right now," the doctor told them and then left the room.  
"Are you coming Pacey?" my mom asked wiping her tears away.  
I shook my head no. I couldn't face him. Doug might never walk again and it was my fault. All because I had decided to try sneaking into some stupid clubs. I was probably the last person he wanted to see.  
My parents left the room, walking by Mr. Leery as they did so.  
"Hi Dad," Dawson said softly.  
"You ready to go, or do you want to hang around here for awhile longer?" Mr. Leery asked. Dawson started to reply but I cut him off.  
"Go ahead, Dawson. It's getting late. I'll be fine," I told him.  
"You sure?" He asked me.  
"Yeah," I said. "I'll see you tomorrow."  
"Okay," Dawson said hesitantly. I still don't think he felt comfortable with leaving me alone but he stood up anyway and started leaving the room with his dad.  
"Hey Dawson," I said as he was about to walk out of the room. "Thanks, for being there for me tonight," I told him as he turned around.  
"Anytime, man," he told me and then he and his father left.  
I sat in the waiting room by myself lost in my own thoughts. This was one night that I just wanted to get over with and forget. Unfortunately I didn't see either of those things happening. I knew I was going to be sitting through a very long lecture when I finally got home courtesy of my father.  
I don't know how long I had been sitting there when my parents came back in. I stood up and headed toward them figuring that they would want to leave.  
"Honey, you should go in and see your brother," my Mom said as I walked over toward them.  
I shook my head no. "I'm probably the last person he wants to see right now," I told her.  
"He's the one who asked us to get you to come in," my Dad told me. He didn't sound at all happy about it. "So for once, why don't you stop being selfish and do something for someone else for a change."  
"Go see him, Pacey," my mom said softly putting his hand on my arm. I just nodded. I knew I wasn't going to be able to get out of it now.  
I slowly made my way to the room where my brother was. The closer I got the slower I walked. I didn't want to do this. Knowing Doug, he probably wanted to give me some kind of lecture. Tell me that I was still under arrest or something like that. Too soon I was standing in front of the door. Taking a deep breath I slowly pushed the door opened.  
I stepped inside the room and then shut the door behind me. At the sound of the door closing I saw Doug open his eyes and look in my direction.  
"Dad, said you wanted to see me," I said from where I was at. 'Oh, that was a great opening you idiot' I thought to myself as soon as the words were out of my mouth. Unfortunately I didn't know what else to say to him. I wanted to apologize but I couldn't find the words.  
"Pacey, please stop blaming yourself for what happened tonight. I know that's why you didn't want to come in and see me," Doug said as I looked down at the floor. I seemed to be doing that a lot tonight.  
"How can I," I said quietly. "If I hadn't been trying to sneak into clubs tonight, I wouldn't have gotten into a fight with Matt Caulfield and none of this would have happened."  
"That's not ture, Pacey. Hipkins and I were called out to that club because the club owners had called in a complaint on Caulfield and his buddies who were harassing some girls inside the club so I would've been there whether or not you were there and it was Caulfield who had the knife. He could've still pulled it on me or on Ted. It wasn't your fault."  
I didn't know what to say. I wanted to argue with him but I just couldn't find the words for what I was feeling inside.  
"Pacey do you know why I was arresting you tonight?" Doug asked me  
"Because I was fighting with Caulfield," was the only reply I could come up with.  
"No," he told me. "That was just the excuse. I was arresting you because I thought maybe getting arrested would get through to you when nothing else has seemed to. You seem to revel in doing what you're not suppose to be doing and yeah, I know, you're young and you're going to make mistakes, I made quite a few in high school myself, but you just don't seem to care. That attitude is going to eventually get you into major trouble. I don't want to see that happen Pacey."  
I didn't say anything. What could I say. I had always figured that Doug didn't care about me along with the rest of my family. I thought he saw me as the loser that everyone else did. That didn't seem to be the case. This was the first time that I remembered any of my family expressing concern about my future.  
"Caulfield was going after me with that knife," was what ended up coming out of my mouth.  
"You don't know that for sure Pacey," Doug told me. "And even if he was, I still handled that situation wrong. What I did was stupid, its as simple as that. But at the time all I cared about was keeping you safe and put in the same situation I'd do the same exact thing."  
His words shocked me. For as long as I could remember all I had been hearing from Doug is what I had heard from the rest of the family. That I was a trouble maker, no good - a loser. Yet despite all that Doug had risked his life for me. Something like that meant more than all the negative words put together. My vision blurred as I felt tears come to my eyes. I thought about what I had said to him earlier that night - "I hate you Doug. You're making me wish I didn't have a brother." How could I have ever told him that. When faced with the possibility of actually losing my brother I realized just how much he meant to me.  
I wanted to tell Doug that I loved him. That I appreciated what he had done for me but I couldn't. I couldn't say anything. I just stood there with tears running down my face. Through my tears I saw Doug extend his arm to me. Wordlessly I went over to him and gave him a hug, still trying to put my feelings into words. I felt his arm around me and felt safe.  
"I love you Pace," he said in a shaky voice and I realized that he was crying too.  
"Pacey lets go," I heard my Dad's gruff voice say from the doorway. "The doctor's want Doug to get some rest."  
"Okay," I said standing up and wiping tears away. I didn't want to leave, partly because I could tell my Dad was angry at me. Maybe Doug didn't blame me for what had happened but Dad did. I had seen it in his eyes earlier in the waiting room. "His son" was hurt and it was my fault. I knew without a doubt that my Dad would rather have it be me in lying in that hospital bed instead of Doug.  
Doug reached out and grabbed my hand. I looked down at him.  
"I'll talk to Dad tomorrow. Just hang in there," he told me softly. I just nodded as I let go of his hand and headed toward the door where my father waited. At the doorway, I stopped and turned back toward Doug.  
"I love you Doug," I said finally able to voice the words I had been wanting to say the whole time. I saw him nod slightly with a smile on his face as my Dad and I left the hospital room. 


End file.
